MG Midget Forum

planning for my metal dashboard retrofit... I'm going to be moving the ignition key from the column to the dash. Are there any wiring differences from the dash switch to the column switch, or is it plug and play?

so, no one knows?

A Dash switch will usually have only 4 wires, B+, Accessory, Ignition and Start, youl have to look at a diagram to see what yours has and transfer the wires accordingly.

What about steering wheel lock? Not sure '73 has wheel lock so may not be an issue.

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Jaysen
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MadGe -- 1975 MG Midget for fun and driving the Mrs around.
Annabelle -- Wife's 2014 Chevy Volt parts getter for MadGe (and to make up for all the gas I burn).

it has a steering lock, but its been broken for the past 15 years anyway so I'm going to remove it. I'm just concerned with the switch itself and how the wires match up. I can look at what wires go to my ignition switch but I don't have a metal dash car to look at to see how that is set up.

... in retrospect, I could probably have just looked at wiring diagrams!

If you are going to use a BE switch Bugeye Guy has a neat piece that securely locks the IGN switch assembly to the dash so it cannot rotate. A few for a common BE issue

My steel dash car's don't have an "accessory" position. Off, run, start. Consulting wiring diagram's is the only way to go.

Kurt.

Ya, what switch are you running? Cause either way the best thing to do is look at a diagram. A quick search found you prolly have 5 wires on the switch.

Brown is B+
Purple/green goes to the key buzzer
White/Green (ACC) feeds a seperate fuse - Washer pump, Radio, Heater fan, Wiper motor
White feeds the fuse block (IGN) - Tach, brake, turn, hazard, seatbelt warning system, coil which is not fused
White/Red is start

So there you go, that should give you what you need to wire a 3 or 4 wire ignition switch.

Haven't bought one yet, trying to research what I need first. Can my. 73 switch be separated from the steering lock so I can reuse it?

You probably are only going with off, on, start. No acc. You probably can just eliminate that wire.

If the switch comes off the lock you wont be able to reuse it...the tumbler is in the the steering lock, and the ignition switch goes into the end of that whole assembly. Its a rotary switch with a slot in it. If you have no hole for the ignition switch in the dash you'll probably end up with a universal one or the like..you should not get just the on off type of ignition switch (thats what the bug eye uses) its inconvenient in certain ways, not just wiring but if you wanted to hear the radio without the ignition system/fuel pump on then you have an issue

So what ever switch you get should have an Off, Acc, Run and start position, and youll follow the thing I wrote up there earlier. If your gettin an Off, Run, Start switch then you can put the Acc and Run wires together, but I dont know if I would do that as that type of switch may not have contacts to put up with all that load. I would add a relay for the Acc which would turn on with the key, get its B+ from the wire to the ignition switch, and supply the Acc power. So the relay would be

30 - Brown wire (B+)
87 - White/Green (ACC)
85 - Run terminal on new switch to turn relay on
86 - Ground


Ignition switches are pretty simple things and there are only so many options, should be pretty easy. Dunno if you even still have your key buzzer, but your gonna loose that...not that there is a midget left that has a working one haha.

Hope that makes sense. But more than likely youll end up with a switch that has an ACC terminal, that what id do.

Another way around this us to use a mini SPDT switch. Mount under dash on left dash support brace. Center post provides power to radio. One side goes to an always. On source and the other side goes to a switched source. Want to listen to radio without engine running simply flip the switch. Unseen under the dash.

I'm using the 64-67 dash, has a place for ignition switch but no switch left by previous owner.

My cars are 64,65,66 that I'm talking about. BE too but it has the pull cable starter.

Kurt.

Well if you use the 65 switch for example im pretty sure that a 3 wire switch, B+, RUN and START. I would try to find a 4 wire switch for the hole, but if you wanna run a 3 wire switch you can they running the ACC wire with the RUN wire you will most likely be fine.